Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

My girlfriend and I are really interested in living in GTO city. We would like to experience it first-hand for ourselves before we move our stuff down here. Our plan is to visit for a week and experience as much as possible, and if we love it then come down for six months. From there, who knows. We're both kind of tired of our current lifestyle, so becoming a resident of Mexico is not out of the question.

What I'm interested in is where to stay in Guanajuato while we visit for a week or so. I've looked online and have found a bunch of vacation rentals in gated areas that are specifically geared toward Americans, but we're not really interested in any of that. While we would technically be there on vacation, it would be to try to get an idea of what to expect if we live there and not to be "wow'd" with high class amenities. I guess what I'm looking for is an ideal neighborhood or neighborhoods away from touristy areas that I can search for a short-term apartment/b&b, etc.

Re: [greg728] Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

I guess what I'm looking for is an ideal neighborhood or neighborhoods away from touristy areas that I can search for a short-term apartment/b&b, etc.

Have you been to Guanjuato City before? "Away from touristy areas" pretty much means outside of the very center.

The La Presa neighborhood is a little bit removed from the very center of Guanajuato City, but only minutes away by bus or foot. It would be extremely livable. Another neighborhood worth looking at is Marfil, though it's a bit further out.

Re: [greg728] Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

I would second ChinaGringo's recommendation for Casa Zuniga, It's a nice place to stay for a week in Guanajuato. It's located up near the top of the Panoramica near the Pipila Monument, so it's a 5 minute walk or so down to the Center of town. There is a funicular (a cable railway) that you can ride up and down as well.

I think one of the main things to consider when deciding whether to move to Guanajuato is how much you like to walk, and if you can handle walking up and down the hills.

For example, I live on the Panoramica. It's a beautiful view of the city, but I recently counted the number of steps down the alleyway to the centro from my house and it's 249 steps. Not bad going down, buy walking up is quite a workout. Obviously, you can mitigate some of this by living a little further out, or closer to the Centro, and taking taxis or buses more often.

I enjoy living in Guanajuato because I'm relatively fit and there's no need to buy a stair climber. But I think this is one reason why San Miguel is a more popular destination for retired expats.

Also, Guanajuato is a smaller town, so less big name stores, fewer high quality restaurants, etc.

On the positive side, it's a friendly city, quite safe compared to many places in Mexico, lots of cultural events going on all the time, breath-taking views, and the very youthful vibe, as the University of Guanajuato is also located here.

Re: [waltw] Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

Fully agree with Walt's warning on the stairs, ramps and alleys of Guanajuato. We did take the walk down from Casa Zuniga and definitely felt the stretch in the back of our legs. For a general idea, I put together a brief photo album: https://plus.google.com/.../6051134196018298641Take particular note of the "gaz" deliveryman toting the propane cylinder to someone's house and realize that everything must arrive this way if your home is located up the stairs or alleys. Regards, Neil Albuquerque, NM

Re: [chinagringo] Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

Thank you everyone for the responses - you've been very helpful and courteous!

Just to clarify - my girlfriend and I are in our mid to late 20's and are in above-average shape. We're not runners or fitness freaks, but we can handle different types of terrain. We recently climbed 2/3 of the way up Mount Rainier (10,000 feet - the highest one can climb without a climbing permit) and spent a lot of time in San Francisco walking everywhere in town.

One of the reasons that we are choosing GTO is because we won't have to drive. We love the idea of living in a city and fully understand that sometimes you have to work a little harder to experience something truly beautiful.

Re: [greg728] Where To Stay In Guanajuato City For The First Time?

San Francisco rises from sea level while Guanajuato is approx 6600' which makes little difference once you are acclimated. I would say the most difficult thing would be getting your groceries or other purchases home. Regards, Neil Albuquerque, NM